Nars Expands Its Blusher Range With 10 New Bold, Statement-Making Shades

When it comes to iconic beauty products, Nars's Orgasm Blush [1] is arguably at the very top of the list. Cheeky shade name aside, not only does the shimmery peachy-pink hue liven up a wide variety of skin tones, but the silky, finely milled formula also blends over the skin like butter. Since its launch in 1999, Nars [2] has expanded its blush range, with shades like Deep Throat, Dolce Vita, and Exhibit A that, while never quite reaching the same renown of the OG hue, have long been loved by makeup artists around the world. This is all to say that Nars blushes, regardless of colour, are really, really good.

This month, Nars gives us 10 more blush shades to drool over: there's Tempted (a shimmery midtone beige), Illicit (a matte peach nude), Savage (a shimmering reddish brown), Zen (a matte neutral beige), Behave (a matte pink mauve), Dominate (a shimmering deep plum), Aroused (a satin burgundy), Thrill (a matte cool pale pink), Coeur Battant (a vibrant fuchsia), and Orgasm X (a deeper, more coral version of the classic Orgasm colour).

While there are a couple of subtle neutrals in the mix, many of the shades are bold, statement-making hues. So bold, in fact, that Nars Senior Makeup Artist Clayton Reid [3] was moved to dip into them for a recent photo shoot with London-based photographer James O'Doherty [4], which you can see both above and if you keep reading. Reid got creative, using old-school draping techniques and purposely clashing colour combinations that, while beautiful to look at, probably aren't looks you're going to wear to work anytime soon. But there's no denying these photos show off how gorgeous these new shades truly are — and how they may just inspire you to go a little bolder and statement-making yourself.

Nars Expands Blusher Range With 10 New Shades

Reid placed a blend of the new shades Coeur Battant and Aroused high up on the cheekbones.

Reid buffed the new Orgasm X shade onto the apples of the cheeks, pairing the bold hue with equally strong shades on the eyes and lips.

Reid blended the new Illicit hue with shades from the brand's Overlust Cheek Palette [5] and took it from the temples all the way down the cheekbones.

Makeup: Clayton Reid
Photographer: James O'Doherty
Models: Holly Hickman, Alex Thomas, and Wing Yue Leung
Hair: Natalie Mealy
Makeup Assistant: Ruth Howsam

Makeup: Clayton Reid [6]
Photographer: James O'Doherty [7]
Models: Holly Hickman [8], Alex Thomas [9], and Wing Yue Leung [10]
Hair: Natalie Mealy [11]
Makeup Assistant: Ruth Howsam [12]